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by Fireball Massacre
Summary: OCxAang Val escaped the Fire Nation and got to Ba Sing Se with very important documents. She meets the Avatar gang there, but she can no longer escape the Fire Nation. Those documents could lead to the destruction of the Fire Nation, hence why Val is being chased. Why is Val doing this? Who exactly is Val, anyway?
1. Chapter 1

**(I don't own anything, but some of the plot. Dark Chrona owns her OC, Val, and most of the plot.)**

**. . . . . .**

"Sozin's comet is going to arrive, in three months, we need to be ready," said a Fire Bender General. "The Fire Lord will be coming to check your training. I expect you to put forth your most excellent abilities, or you'll have to deal with him and I."

His eyes narrowed at his recruits, scanning the room. His eyes stopped on a young, one of the youngest, trainees. "Is that clear?" He addressed everyone, but mostly the youngest. His gaze didn't falter as shouts rose up to give him a stern "yes sir."

The one he was staring at was quite petite, had short black hair up in a ponytail, and her eyes were a gold color. She only seemed around 16 years old, tops. She stared straight. "Yes, sir."

Satisfied, the General nodded. "Alright men," he turned toward the door as a firm voice came through the closed-door. Suddenly, the General bowed, and he said. "I hope they are to your likeness?" Fire Lord Ozai told him to stand straight, and he murmured low. The petite black-haired girl overheard it. The Fire Lord abruptly turned and left. The General grew pale, straightened himself up higher, if that was possible, and covered up his nervousness by shouting, "You will all start on being an officer tomorrow."

Four Days passed.

. . . . . .

Ba Sing Se is a big city, full with Refugees. There are so many as the eyes can see. Too many in fact. Aang frowned as he went through the Lower Ring. His eyes went to his hands, suddenly snapping back up. He had seen something, no someone. It had been a girl, but her eyes made Aang find her through the crowd. They were a gold color. Aang's gaze skirted through the alleys they had just passed, leaning practically out the window. Aang jumped as a hand caught his shirt when they hit a bump. He had almost went head first out the window.

"Are you okay Aang?" Katara asked as she helped him back inside. She had her head tilted.

Aang hesitated then smiled. "No harm done." He gave a light chuckled, slightly amused, slightly nervous. Katara nodded, seeming convinced, but Sokka didn't. He raised a brow at Aang; Toph just shook her head.

Sokka turned to Joo Dee. "We need to talk to the Earth King."

"You're safe now..." She smiled at the children.

"Please, we need to speak to the Earth King-" Katara started, but Joo Dee kind of caught her off.

"Welcome to your residence here at our humble city of Ba Sing Se." Joo Dee opened one of the doors, and as the children went out, she smiled faintly. "If you need anything, please feel free to ask." The carriage type thing went off after she said that.

Sokka crossed his arms and went inside to see what the Upper Ring houses looked like inside. Slowly, the others went inside, with Aang being last. He blinked around at the room, while Momo flew overhead in a circle then onto Katara's shoulder. "Eh, I've seen better," said Sokka with a shrug.

Toph gave a light kick to the floor. It had a lot of space for what Toph could feel. The silence took over the place until a commotion outside made "Team Avatar" rush outside. They didn't see anything, but they heard a lot. "There," Toph said as she pointed in a specific direction.

The children darted down an alley and went left down another. As they approached a dead-end, the noise was no longer there, so Sokka withdrew his knife, slowly. Sokka went up to a trash bag and poked at it. Turning, Sokka said. "Whatever it was it is long gone now." As he said that the bag rustled and tipped over. Sokka shot back and rose his knife. With one swift motion, his knife came down and was blown out of his hand by a random burst of air, missing something.

"Aww, are you scared of a big bad kitten," teased Katara.

Sokka retrieved his knife and put it away. "No, Katara." To show he wasn't afraid, he quickly picked up the cat. "See?" The cat hissed and clawed at Sokka. Soon after Sokka let the cat drop. Still the cat hissed and swung at Sokka.

Aang put up a hand to stop Sokka for whatever he was about to do. "Sokka, you scared it."

"I scared it?" Sokka raised a brow. Aang knelt down to the cat's height. Sokka crossed his arms and watched, expecting the cat to flip out.

Aang easily picked it up and beamed. "Look, Sokka, want to hold it?"

Sokka let out a sigh. "Not exactly."

The others laughed, but were silenced quite fast since the cat struggled against Aang's hold and started to hiss. Aang dropped the cat, backing up some. The cat raised up its back, bared it teeth, and darted at them. However, it ran past them instead, toward a figure in the shadows. The figure slowly brought up the cat and scratched its head. The cat instantly calmed down and started to purr.

"Is that your cat?" Katara asked the figure, who approached them a few steps then stopped.

"Not particularly, I've seen it around, but it's not mine." The figure said, drawing down her hood on her cloak. Her eyes watched the cat then the children in front of her.

Aang blinked. "You're from the Lower Ring, aren't you?" He remembered her eyes; they were definitely the ones he had noticed.

The figure's mouth curved a little at the sides. "And you're the one that almost kissed the ground, weren't you?"

Aang chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know how to respond to that, but Sokka did. "Yeah, my sister had to help him back in."

Katara gave a smile to the figure. "Well, I'm his sister, Katara. He's my brother Sokka, and this is Toph." She gestured to Sokka and Toph.

Aang addressed, or introduced, himself. "I'm Aang. You are?" The figure hesitated, absentmindedly moved her hand in a circle on the cat's head.

"Val," came from the figure's mouth, bluntly.

. . . . .

Val had heard a commotion and walked toward it. It was probably that cat. She remembered how she left, and it followed her. Even back then the cat was a scrawny troublemaker.

_- Val shoved some clothes and some papers into a bag and slung it over her shoulder. She needed to leave this place; something told her that it was only going to get worse if Ozai achieved his goals. Her best option was to leave. However, when she went to leave, she heard a hiss. Turning to it, she shooed it away. It just came back again, hissing at her._

_"Go, you're going to get me caught even before I leave." Val whispered at the scrawny black cat. She at least wanted to escape before she was caught. Val continued to walk and ignore the cat, while the cat continued to follow her and annoy her. Val exhaled. "You're owners will want you back, unless you don't have owners..?" Her feet stopped, and she raised up the cat into her arms to see if it had a collar. It didn't. - _

She turned and saw two water tribe people, a bald kid, and an earth bender. She saw the black cat hiss. _Great, they have no idea what they're in for._ She thought to herself as she went to stop the bald one from picking up the cat and looking like his taller male friend. When the bald one held the cat, she waited. Until they stopped speaking, dropped the cat, and they looked over at her. Val picked up the cat and rubbed its head.

"Is that your cat?" The other water tribe member spoke.

"Not particularly, I've seen it around, but it's not mine." Val heard herself say, feeling her feet move up a few feet and pulling down her hood.

The bald one asked, looking flabbergasted. "You're from the Lower Ring, aren't you?"

She said, grinning a bit. "And you're the one that almost kissed the ground, weren't you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, choosing to not either not respond or not know how to. Then, his masculine friend cut it. "Yeah, my sister had to help him back in."

The water tribe girl smiled at Val. "Well, I'm his sister, Katara. He's my brother, Sokka, and this is Toph." She waved a hand to the other water tribe member, and then to a young girl that looked blind.

"I'm Aang. You are?" The bald one asked her.

Val hesitated. _Should I trust them?_ She thought. She, then, decided t answer him. "Val." It sounded blunt.

The bald one, Aang was it, smiled. "How'd you do that?" He meant holding the cat.

Val shrugged. "You have to pick him up slowly and rub his head if he gets antsy." She handed the cat over to Aang, who blinked. She put her finger on the cat's head. "Right here."

Aang nodded, and the cat started to squirm. Quickly, Aang rubbed the cat's head. It settled down and let out a purr. Aang smiled. Val went to leave, but Aang said. "Wait, please..." He nervously fiddled his foot, his heel lifting off the ground a bit. "Nice to meet you," He finished lamely.

Toph laughed. "What's wrong, twinkle toes?"

Aang blushed. "I, uh."

Katara scolded Toph only slightly. "Let him be Toph. Maybe he doesn't want to answer."

Toph laughed again. "Alright sweetness, I won't pick on him."

Val directed their attention to her. "Well, got to go." She turned again to leave, but Katara asked if Val knew a place to eat. Val took the lead. "There's a few places. This one's not to bad." She opened a door to a restaurant.

Katara blinked. "Wow, looks pretty interesting."

"The decor is great." Aang said, making the other children (except Toph) look at him. He just smiled. "What?"

Val showed them to a table and handed them a menu. "Everything here is cheap, so you can eat a lot and not pay too much."

"Would you like to eat with us?" Aang blurted out, making Val turn to him. Aang added, "We can pay if you want."

Val bit her lip. "I guess... I can stay. I'll pay you back though."

Sokka slung a shoulder over the back of another chair. "No need. We have enough. Consider it a gift." Val took a seat with a stiff nod. Aang sneaked a few looks at Val, and every time he quickly looked back to the menu, almost burying his face in it. After they all ordered and finished eating, Val left right after.

"She must have had something important to do," Katara said.

Toph stated. "She's heading toward the house."

Sokka snapped to his feet. "What if she's a thief?"

"I don't think she's a thief, Sokka." Aang commented.

"I want to be sure."

They reached the house with no sign of Val, but there was some money on the porch. Sokka picked it up. "Guess she's not a thief, then."

. . . . .

_- "Wake up, Val! They're coming." _

_Val woke abruptly on the ground. "What? Who's coming?" She rose to meet one of her friends, a trainee of a police officer. A knife was thrust into Val's hands, making Val whisper. "Who's coming?"_

_"They found out," her friend whispered back. "You need to get out of here, or they'll find you. I'll hold them off."_

_Val shook her head. "No, you take it. I'll stay behind." She handed her bag over to her friend, who wouldn't take it._

_"Go Val." Her friend uttered. "Don't make me turn you in myself."_

_Val didn't want to leave her friend, but his eyes narrowed at her to disobey him again. She ran off. Any other time she would have argued, but the tramping of feet was getting closer. Since he didn't leave, only she could. She hated it, too be leaving and letting him take the blame. She looked back several times, almost turning back every time. She heard a rough voice say, "I thought you wouldn't have stole those papers... You would have been one of the greatest Officers if you didn't pull this stunt. Now where's the papers!"_

_Val's friend stated. "I burned them. You'll never find them." There was a loud crack, then a thud. Her friend had been shoved to the ground, but he laughed. "You better do better than that." He then let out a small scream. Val felt the heat; he must have been burned. -_

Val woke up with a sour taste in her mouth. She went out for a walk. She really disliked flashbacks. She trudged along the streets, looking over her shoulder. She sat on a rock upon a hill. She rested her head in her hands. She wished she could have done something that night. She sighed lightly; the only thing for her to do is find someone to help her with these papers. She heard a voice from the sky, seeing... "Aang?" She squinted into the sky. No wonder she didn't recognize his clothing. He was an Air Bender, which means he is the Avatar.

Aang frowned as he landed. "Is everything alright?"

Val nodded. "Yeah."

Aang gave a light smile. "You crystal clear on that?"

Val didn''t want to ruin his good mood so she chuckled once. "Crystal clear." Aang fiddled with his thumbs. Val saw that. "You nervous or something, Aang?"

"I just want to find Appa." Aang stated.

Val didn't know who Appa was, but she didn't ask. Instead, she changed the subject. "What was that lemur called, that you had yesterday?"

Aang brightened a bit. "Momo. Katara, Sokka, and I found him at the South Air Temple."

Val's mouth curved up a bit. "How was it like, before the war?"

Aang went in great description about how there was so much flying bison, the gliders all over the place, the games they used to play, and his mentor. He added. "Gyatso, he... taught me a lot." His voice choked. "Th-then, the Fire Nation killed them all."

To comfort him, Val put an arm around him. "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean, you didn't kill them."

"I'm sorry theoretically, I mean."

"Oh." Aang sniffed. "Thank you, but now I have Katara and Sokka." He only seemed halfway into that thought.

Val muttered. "Also, I think the world's going to change soon."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked.

Val thought back to the papers. "Can you keep a secret?" Aang nodded. Val continued. "Well, I-"

Suddenly, there was screaming and explosions from the city. Aang blinked. "We got to go help!" He twirled his glider and got ready. "Grab on."

Val's hands wrapped around the glider. "You sure this is safe?"

Aang nodded. "It's the fastest way down, anyways." He went in the air and swooped down to the city. Waiting there for them was Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Momo.

Sokka asked as Aang and Val landed. "Where were you two?"

Aang blushed a bit. "No where really, but we're here now so let's go." Team Avatar and Val ran forward. Aang and Katara started to put out the fire by water bending the water to spray it. Val and Sokka helped people out of the wreckage. Toph kept them safe by ushering them out of the zone and setting rocks up to hold up falling buildings. Momo started to help Katara and Aang by patting down a few pieces of fire with its "paws."

Within minutes the fire was subdued. The group gathered together to access their handy work. Only a few buildings were badly burnt and some of the roofs were collapsed. "We did it Team Avatar!" Sokka yelled out with a grin.

There was a harsh laugh. "You think this is over? It's just beginning." A masculine voice that Val's recognized stated. A man, with red clothing on and fire nation insignia on him, walked around a corner.

"Hey, you're the one that started this fire!" Toph said, facing sideways.

The man clapped. Zhao. That's what Val thought his name was. The man put down his hands. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious." His eyes drifted to Aang. "Get the Avatar alive." Out of nowhere, men poured into the space, over thirty of them. Val noticed a few familiar faces, including that of her friend. Zhao stated. "Never mind, I'll capture him, myself." He ran forward and shot fire at Aang.

Aang blinked and blew it out. Val slipped up her hood and pulled out a round item, chucking it at the ground. It exploded in a wave of dust. When the dust cleared, they was only empty space.

. . . . .

"Whoa!" Aang exclaimed.

"How'd you do that?" Sokka and Katara asked in unison.

Sokka added. "How long did it take you?"

Val was extremely silent until a few moments later. "I just combined a few things, and it took a few hours, for you information." She went quiet again; she had no more to save them again. She wanted to save that one for a little bit longer, but she couldn't let them get captured because she wasn't paying attention.

Sokka yawned and stretched. "Can you teach me how to do that later?" Val nodded. Sokka laid down on the ground of their house. Quickly, he fell asleep and snored. Katara and Toph were already sleeping. That fire must have taken more out of them than Val noticed.

Aang smiled slightly at Val. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem, but they'll be back." Val stated.

Aang had guessed that. "How'd they even get into the city?"

Val shrugged. "Who knows? The important thing is that they're here, and they're after you."

Aang agreed, sitting down. "You can stay here tonight if you like."

Val sat down next to him. "That'll be nice." She set her hands down on the floor, accidentally touching Aang's hand. She pulled back. "Sorry."

Aang was blushing and smiling faintly. "It's fine."

Val smiled a tiny bit. "Mhm." She bit her lip, taking something from her cloak. It was a ratty old bag. It was tiny. She rested it on her knee and looked at it. "What do you think about the Ozai?" She asked.

Aang answered. "Everyone has good in them, and everyone has bad in them. For some people, they have more than the other. Also, the Fire Nation is not all bad; there's some that are pure of heart."

Val actually smiled more. "You're exactly right, Aang, even for your age."

Aang beamed. "I hear that a lot." Val replaced her bag under her cloak and over her shoulder. "Night."

"Night," responded Aang.

. . . . .

They slept for a few hours, only to be awoken by more screaming outside the door. Val heard someone yell something about the Avatar then a betrayer and the papers. Val looked at her bag. All the papers were there, which meant that they recognized her.

_- Val had grabbed the papers, shoving them in the bag as quickly as she could. She wasn't afraid that she would be caught, but when. It was inevitable either way._

_"Hey you there! What are you doing? Release those documents at once." A person yelled at her. The person trapped her behind the desk. "Those are very important, think of the Fire Nation. Do you want us to lose the War?"_

_Val paused then her eyes narrowed. "You mean think about how the Officers shove and push people or how they burn innocent people? Oh, how about the Fire Lord telling my instructor that all the trainees have to go into battle? That's the only way for him to decide if we're good enough he said."_

_The person across from her lunged. "It's all a fact of life!"_

_Val dodged him. "No, it's not. No one should live like that with Ozai in power."_

_The person gasped. "You can't say that! He is the Fire Lord." He jabbed a button on the desk and an alarm went off. "You'll never escape before they come. You're as good as dead."_

_Val held back her next comment and poked her head out the door. People were already running this way. She darted down the hallway, only to hear footsteps from that way. Quickly, she dove inside a door and shut it. Outside the door, someone's muffled voice came through. "We need those papers, and whoever took them can destroy us with them. Whoever the person is will need to face torture that Fire Lord Ozai has picked."_

_Surprisingly, Val didn't care. She walked away from the door and to the window. She probably made a lot of noise, but she couldn't see. Then, the door swung open, and she dropped out the open window, holding her hood down over her face._

_As she did, she heard a voice yell, "It's one of the trainees!" - _

Val awoke the others. She pointed to the back door. She mouthed, "Follow me." They all did, just as they reached the back door, the front door exploded open to reveal a person with his fist still outstretched. The wood splinters were singed. "Go!" Val let them rush pass her as her eyes widened at Zhao.

Zhao straightened. "First, we retrieve those papers then we get the Avatar, understood?"

al darted out the door. They know alright. She easily caught up with the others. "This way." She ran ahead, holding back a pant. She swerved to miss people, jumped on a table, and climbed up onto the building.

"Where are we going?" Sokka panted.

Aang ran side-by-side with Val. "We can't leave without Appa."

Val just shook her head. "I thought you'd say that. You won't have to, I found your flying bison when you all went to sleep." Her eyes darted around at shattered glass, burning houses, people crying, and she gritted her teeth. No mercy. The Fire Nation has none. Val pushed herself forward along the rooftops. Sokka gripped Toph's hand to keep her steady.

Katara yelled. "Val, they're following us." Val looked back and narrowed her eyes a bit.

Aang added, "We're running out of roof." He stopped. "There's a ladder-"

"No, they'll be down there." Val grabbed his arm and steered him forward. "We have to jump. One... Two... Three! Jump." She and Aang jumped. Then, Katara jumped, and Sokka and Toph jumped last. They landed on a small collapsing building and skidded off the roof to the ground three feet below. They rolled when they hit the ground. Val winced; she landed on her ankle. Ignoring the pain, she got to her feet. "Everyone alright?" They nodded. Val continued. "Good, now you need to keep going."

A big shadow came at them and made a noise. "Appa!" Aang smiled widely and hugged the bison. "I missed you buddy, more than you'll ever know." A tear went down his check. The others hugged Appa, except Val.

"Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but you need to go." Val stated.

"'You,' wait, you're not coming?" Aang hopped down from Appa, floating to the ground basically. He frowned at Val.

Val nodded. "It was always part of my plan." She took out the old bag.

Aang's eyes got slightly misty. "Just when you planned the roof and hiding Appa. You planned on getting captured?"

"Sooner or later I would have." She gave him the bag, draping it over his shoulder. "Don't read it until you get out of the city or give it to anyone. It's very important." She rested her forehead on Aang's. "I'm trusting you with this..."

Aang nodded. "I promise I won't give it to anyone, so I will." He tilted his head up and pecked her cheek.

Val pushed him to Appa. "Now go." Aang jumped onto Appa, an expression of sadness on his face. Val turned to see Zhao.

Zhao smirked. "The papers and the Avatar, it must be my lucky day. Get the papers from the girl."  
Val told Aang to leave again. After a few more times, Aang said. "Yip, yip." Then, they took to the air. Val got in a fighting stance and ran at Zhao. Zhao shot toward Appa instead of Val. Val blinked and moved her hands. The fire went back at Zhao instead of Appa. Zhao waved a hand, and the fire disappeared. Val looked up and saw everyone, they already know now.

She dodged a fire blast and sent one at Zhao, glaring. A few of Zhao's men aimed at the gang of kids, but ended up on the ground. Val tackled a few and hit a few with fireballs. Zhao glared as the Avatar got out of reach. He shot a blast at Val out of anger. It would have missed, anyway, but Val did a front-flip, causing fire to come from her heel.

The fire made a huge arch. It got Zhao, and he grunted as he stumbled back with his arms up. Val suddenly stopped, brought her arms out in a circle, and exhaled as her hands got to the middle of her abdomen. She looked up to see Aang staring. He wasn't angry or anything, but worried it seemed. She smirked, putting up a thumb to signal that she would be fine.

. . . .

Katara, Sokka, and Aang saw Zhao aim at Appa and shoot. Suddenly, the fire went back at Zhao. Val looked up, gaze connecting with Aang's. "I knew something was off about her. She's a Fire Bender," Sokka murmured.

Val turned back to the fight with a glare to her eyes. They watched her dodge and throw fire at Zhao. Then, Zhao looked up at Aang. His face contorted, and he took his anger out on Val. Katara held her breath, while Aang grew cold.

"What's happening?" Toph asked, arms crossed.

Sokka blinked. "Val's saving us." Toph stuck out her tongue. "Well, duh. She was always telling the truth. She never lied to us."

Aang frowned. "What'll happen to her?" He stared at Val, seeing her arms go in a circle to her stomach and her withdrawal of breath. She was giving up. Aang's eyes widened, and his heart sank. Val's eyes went back up to them.

"Why is she giving up," asked a confused Sokka.

Slowly, Val raised a hand. Aang thought she was going to fight again, but she gave him a thumbs-up. She wasn't; she was accepting her fate. They went out of the city. Once they reached a safe enough distance and found a place to land, they took out the papers from Val's bag. Sokka laid out the first one, smoothing out the ends.

He whistled. "It's for their ships. It shows their flaws, and where they can be easily taken down." He pointed to the flaws. "Also, the plan for Sozin's Comet. It has its starting point and ending point." He looked at the other papers. "It also has where the patrols are going to be and when they're there."

He paused for a breather. "Also, it shows a map to the Fire Nation, a map of the Palace, and a map of the area around it. The Fire Lord has a safe spot just beyond the palace." He searched the others and grinned. "We're all armed and ready for anything that they'll throw at us, now." Katara and Sokka hugged each other, and then, Toph joined in from Katara hugging her.

Katara frowned. "Aang is everything alright?"

"We need to go back and help her." Aang stated. "It's not right to just leave her there... to die..."

Everything went quiet until Sokka announced. "They'll probably send her to the Fire Lord. If we get to the palace, we can ambush them. We'll get her, and she'll be fine."

"Can we really do that?" Aang asked with a smile.

"Yes, since we have a map to get there." Katara answered for Sokka.

They'll have the element of surprise. They could do this.

. . . . .

Val let the chains dangle as she walked, hiding her limp. They are taking her to the palace, to Ozai. She was not in the least worried. She did what she had to do, and it had been the right thing. They walked the stairs, and instantly, Val noticed something off.

She heard a strange noise off to her left.


	2. Chapter 2

**(I don't own anything but some of the plot. Dark Chrona owns the rest and her oc Val. Extremely sorry for the wait Dark Chrona.)**

**. . . . .**

It was quiet, far too quiet. Val raised her head to the left, and then the right. There was... No one, no guards (except for the ones by her), no Fire Lord, or Princess Azula, no one at all. The guards around her seemed to also notice, coming closer toward Val and becoming cautious of their surroundings.

Out of nowhere a burst of wind came down upon their heads, and the guards blew away, skidding along the stairs. A few of them shot off the stairs by random mounds of Earth appearing and disappearing. Water whipped back some that stumbled to their feet. Val regained her footing, the handcuffs on her wrists melting off of her.

"What are you doing here," asked Val. She knew that they wouldn't make it out of here, at least not without a huge problem. She gave the Air Bender a look.

Aang blinked. "I thought you-"

Sokka said something, but Val wasn't exactly listening. Val rubbed her temples. "We might not even make it out of the city..." She darted down the stairs, but someone from her left came at her. The person was too close for Val to do anything, but she went to punch the guy anyway.

Suddenly, the person's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed. Sokka stood in front of Val, instead of the person, with his knife held up in his hands. He motioned for the others and took Toph's hand to lead her down the stairs.

Val went in front of him, stopping him. "If we want to not get captured, I suggest we down go that way." She took a few steps up the stairs.

"What?! Why would we go to the palace, when we're trying to escape the Fire Nation?" Sokka questioned, brow raised at Val.

Val still went to the palace. "I have an idea."

Aang hesitated. "I think she may have a point, Sokka." He went after Val.

Sokka exhaled, but followed Katara, who followed Aang and Val. Val went into the palace. She knew she seemed crazy to the others, but she had an idea. If only I could get there.

_- She walked down the highways quite a few times before, but it wasn't as if she was in a rush. She walked with the other trainees in a march to the Fire Lord. Yesterday, Val overheard the Fire Lord tell the General that the Trainees were to start today in the front lines, and not as officers, unless they survived. The other trainees didn't know what was coming._

_They went to the Fire Lord's chamber and bowed. Ozai stared at them and then the General. "For your sake, let's hope they pass initiation."_

_The General gulped. "Yes, sir." He turned to the trainees. "This is your only and last test, if you pass you will become Officers." All the trainees applauded or either cheered, except for Val._

_Ozai stated. "You all need to learn the right way, in the 'training field,' not in some room." He stood from his chair and gestured to the door. "It starts now."_

_Val, the General, and the trainees walked down a long hallway then turned left. A group of guards stood down another hallway off to the right. They were guarding something, and there was a door behind them. The door had a sign on it; it looked like it said "EXIT." -_

She heard a noise behind her and looked back. She grimaced. "We have to go faster." She pushed her legs hard.

Val heard a scream. It was Katara.

. . . .

"Shh," had whispered Sokka. "They'll be here any second. Get in the positions." They got ready and silent.

The black-haired girl's head started to rise above the stairs, along with the ten or fifteen guards around her. She looked around, and Aang ran around the outside the pillars. The guards seemed to grow cautious now. Aang leaped off the ground and brought down his staff. Air made everyone fly away, except for the chained girl, whose handcuffs started to melt away. A few of the guards were whipped by Katara's water and hit by Toph's earth mounds.

The girl's face dropped, and she gave Aang a look. "What are you doing here?"

Aang began to speak, but stopped. "I thought..." He frowned.

Sokka said, cutting Aang off slightly. "We're here saving you." He started to glare. "What did you think we were just going to let you die? Or Aang let you die, at least?"

The girl rubbed her temples and didn't seem to be listening. Until she murmured. "We might not even make it out of the city..." Her feet went toward the stairs.

Sokka noticed movement next to her and came down on a person's head, hard enough to only make the guy go unconscious. The person crumbled to the ground. Sokka flicked his hand in the direction of the stairs and led them down the stairs.

However, the girl blocked their way. She stated. "If we want to not get captured, I suggest we down go that way." They watched her start toward the palace.

"What?! Why would we go to the palace, when we're trying to escape the Fire Nation?" Sokka was confused.

"I have an idea." They all heard her say.

Of course Aang seemed to agree with her. "I think she may have a point, Sokka." He followed Val like a lost pup, or just obediently. Sokka sighed as Katara followed Aang and the girl. He decided to follow as well. Leading Toph up the stairs, he couldn't help, but wonder what the raven-haired girl was thinking or was she insane perhaps?

They ran down hallways that looked the same, but the girl looked like she knew this hallways like the back of her hand. She probably almost did. They all ran after that girl. There was a noise that sounded like a grunt or a squeak of a shoe that came from behind them. Aang looked back when Sokka and Katara did.

There were twenty guards pounding after them, and they were going to catch up soon. The girl who led the way whipped her head backwards then forward. She had a glower on her face when she turned back to the front way.

Sokka caught up with Katara and Aang. Then, Katara screamed, falling to the floor. She cringed, and Sokka stopped abruptly to help up Katara. "C'mon, Katara!"

Katara struggled to sit up and tried to stand up. Aang stood over Katara. "Katara, what's wrong?"

Katara held her leg; it was burned. "I think someone burned me." Her hands drifted to her leg and started to heal it.

The guards appeared, and fire exploded from their palms. Aang's and Katara's eyes widened, while Sokka's narrowed and Toph's did nothing.

. . . .

Val jumped over the four others and landed in front of them. The fire came closer. Val put up her hands, and then, she pushed the fire back at them. It hit them, making them go backward. They stood up again, just as pounding feet came from behind her. The guards were going to surround them.

Katara stood. "Thanks, Val."

Val nodded. "Yeah, couldn't let you guys get hurt when you're already down, right?" It was said in a light voice, to try to create a joke.

Aang blinked. "We're trapped."

Sokka stated. "Any more bright ideas?" He looked to Val, but Toph spoke up.

"We fight." Toph answered.

Val grinned. "Exactly." She dodged a boot then a fireball. She sent a ring of fire at an incoming guard. More than forty closed in on them. She hit one coming in the head with her heel.

Despite their situation, Aang gave a grin, while he dodged some flames, then a few guards. Katara made water throw a guard into three more, making them all fall down onto each other. She then jumped backward, while Sokka came around her and hit a guard's helmet off. After that, Sokka kicked the guard down. Toph had her hands out and dodged a few people. She smirked as rock appeared through the floor, holding some guards to the ceiling,

Val got hit in the back and stumbled forward. She gritted her teeth from a sharp pain from her ankle. She brought up her fist and connected it with one of the guard's jaw. Another person hit her in the side, sending her sprawling across the floor. She grunted, leaped to her feet, and stood still.

There was more than forty-two guards now and more were coming down the hall. She thought. If there is so many, then why is Ozai sending more? Something in her mind clicked. Then, something smashed with her head. She rose again, this time with her hands up. "I surrender," stated Val.

Aang noticed and slowly raised his hands. "As do I."

When he did that, the guards stopped attacking and stood, stunned. Katara and Sokka also raised up their hands. Val saw them all stare at her: then Aang, next Katara, and last Sokka, who looked skeptical. Val let the guards put handcuffs on her, and as they did that, she saw a figure and blinked. It went black after that.

All she thought about was the papers. _Did they come here with the papers?!_

. . . .

Val awoke with a headache, but she was alive. She remembered herself surrendering, and she remembered a person. _Who was it?_ She wanted to know. She may need to know. She looked around at the dungeon she was in. Her hands were tied behind her back, and the cell around her was sturdy looking.

She shook her head to clear it of the haze in it. The fight started to come back to her. She closed her eyes, but it was not the fight she wanted to see. It was the person she had seen before (a trainee), but could no longer remember.

_- Val kicked a guard's shin. She turned around and punched the guy into unconsciousness. She ran off, holding the bag close. She needed to get somewhere sort of safe. She had heard rumors that Ba Sing Se was as good as she could get. She darted forward and stopped. Her cloak covered her features and face, but the wind started to blow hard._

_The hood started to fly off her head, but she held on tight. She couldn't let them see her. It would ruin everything: her plan, her escape route, and her hope of ever getting away. She knew it was certain she would get caught; however, Val first needed to get the papers out of there._

_She turned around and caught a glimpse of a few guards. As she turned back around, someone grabbed her arms. Val ripped her hands away and kneed her attacker in the gut. She did a round-house kick to his chest._

_He groaned and whispered. "What the heck, Val?" He climbed to his feet._

_Val blinked and said his name._

_He raised a brow and grinned. "Who'd you think it would be? Ozai?" Val went to answer, but he went ahead before her. "Never mind, there's ambushes up that way and down that way." He pointed straight and then right. "I suggest you go that way." He inclined his head to the left, as he said that. He ran away, back to the trainees' houses._

_Val shook her head at her friend, but went left. Behind her, the angry voices started to fade. However, the explosions became louder. -_

Val's eyes snapped open. She got to her feet, and one word escaped her lips. "Aang."

. . . .

Aang woke up, tied between two beams by his hands and feet. He tried to wiggle himself out, but it was no good. He heard a voice say something, and he turned to it. It was Toph.

"Hey, twinkle toes, where are we?" She had said.

Aang squinted in the dim room. "It looks like a prison." He answered Toph.

Sokka and Katara woke up almost at the same time. "Is everyone okay?" Katara asked.

They all either nodded or said yes. Toph sighed. "I can't see a thing, hanging like this."

"You're not missing much." Sokka commented.

Aang heard the door open, and he glared at Zhao. "Where is she?"

Zhao smirked. "For her crimes against the Fire Lord, she will be tortured for her deeds." He watched their reactions, which made him smirk more. "Didn't like that did we? Well, lucky for you all you will live, just barely though." He left.

Aang's eyes were still narrowed at the door, even after for what it seemed like hours. Sokka sighed. "Wonder what they're going to do when neither of us have those papers..."

Aang smiled. "That's right, they don't have those papers, so we still win."

Sokka grinned. "Exactly, they don't win at all because who knows who'll find them."

Toph frowned, but remained silent. Katara flashed a tiny smile. "Thanks for the positive outlooks, guys."

The door reopened and shut as quickly as it had opened. A guard was there, and he approached them. Aang sucked in a huge breath and let it out at the guard, who hit the door and fell to the floor. The guard stood up again and came right up to Aang. "Stop blowing your air, I came to help." He unlatched the cuffs on the children's wrists.

Aang touched the floor and rubbed his wrists, watching the guard closely. Sokka asked. "Can we even trust you?"

The guard laughed once, not exactly real sounding though. "You may not, but I'm helping Val as well as you."

Val, that's what he said. Aang blurted out. "Where is she, do you know?"

The guard shook his head. "Not recently, but I know where she will be." He opened the door an inch and looked out. He closed it quietly. "Okay, in the front of the palace she will be there in around ten minutes. However, the Fire Lord will be there as well."

Sokka took this in. He said slowly. "Ten minutes, you say?" The guard nodded. "Okay, thanks, but we won't be needing your help now." Sokka said and went out the door. He looked around at the hallways. "Uhm, actually, could you show us to the front?"

The guard crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. "What was that?"

Sokka glared, but Aang cut him off. "Could you please show us the way?"

The guard chuckled. "Sure thing, just stay silent and close." He darted past them, and they quickly ran to catch up. He heard their pounding feet and slowed to a stop, his feet barely making a sound. He leaned his head around the corner and saw some guards. He bit his lip, looking around the hallway. He grinned. "Can you get up there?" He whispered to the other kids and pointed up to the air vents.

They nodded. He went first and helped them in. One by one, they got into the air ducts without being seen or heard. The guard led the way, crawling quietly. They reached the end of the duct with nowhere to turn.

Sokka groaned. "Dead end, great."

Toph cracked her knuckles. "I got this." She pressed her finger tips to the metal, and it started to cave in on itself. She removed the piece and set it down. She rapped her knuckles on the next layer. It was wood.

"Now I got it." The guard put a palm against the wood, and it burned away. There lay Appa, already waiting, and Momo sitting on top of the bison. "These are yours, I suspect?"

Aang smiled. "Yes." He leaped down to Appa. Then, the others followed suit. "Hey aren't you coming?" Aang asked the guard.

The guard shook his head. "This is where I leave you." He disappeared into the ducts again.

Aang frowned, but flew away on Appa. They went onto the outside of the castle and watched the front of it. They were hidden from any one's view and any thing's view.

Then, they saw her.

She walked up to the Fire Lord, head held high. At first her gaze traveled around the front of the castle and up to the roof, then it rested on the Fire Lord's face. She stood right in front of him, but did nothing, but stare straight ahead, even when Ozai started to walk in a circle around her.

Her hands, Aang noticed, were clenched tightly into fists.

Sokka raised a hand and waiting for a few moments as they listened to Ozai. "You need to be punished for your actions, and I know exactly what your punishment will be. It will be... Torture." Before anyone could react, his hand whipped out and a flame came with it, connecting with her cheek.

She shrank down a bit, but did not scream. She must have whispered something vulgar or unwise to the Fire Lord because for a fraction of a second he glared.

Katara held back a gasp as Ozai's hand went back again, and Sokka's eyes widened. Toph seemed to go a bit paler than usual. "He's going to hit her, isn't he?" She whispered.

Aang gulped down a scream and turned away. "We can't just sit here!" He rushed forward, but Sokka knocked him back.

"Wait, look," said Sokka, and he pointed toward Ozai.

Ozai had missed Val.

. . . . . .

Val now knew that Ozai had been the figure. That's why there were so many guards. Ozai suspected the "Avatar" would also come, and he wanted a front row seat to see them captured, including Val again.

Val had been forced down the hallway and out to the front, no doubt, to Ozai, and to receive her punishment. She held her head high. She had made it out of this place and gave the papers to Aang and the others; none of them would be stupid enough to bring them here. Unless... They didn't expect to get caught.

Trying to force that idea from her mind, she looked all around. As she scanned the crowd, she locked a gaze with her once friend. He didn't even look at her. He was laughing with a group on top of the roof. He nonchalantly leaned against the railing and talked some more.

Val, once again, shoved a thought from her head, clenching her fists until they turned white. She focused on the Fire Lord. She stared at him until she stopped walking, and he started to circle around her back. As he did that, she stared directly ahead.

"You need to be punished for your actions, and I know exactly what your punishment will be," stated Ozai. "It will be torture." Out of the corner of her eye, Val saw his hand come at her face. It slapped against her cheek, as well did a burst of flame.

Her knees buckled, she stifled a scream by sucking in a breath and hold it, and she felt herself falling. She kept herself standing, just barely, and before she could stop herself, she hissed at the Fire Lord. "You're never be a good Fire Lord. No one even likes you, you're a piece of trash. No wait, you're even worse than trash." She didn't know where that came from, but now that she said it, she was glad.

It was the truth after all.

Ozai raised his hand again as his eyes narrowed. He took a swing at her.

Not this time, thought Val, never again. She ducked low and brought a heel to the Fire Lord's head. He stumbled a bit, giving Val enough time to see Aang, Katara, Sokka, Appa, Momo, and Appa. No, this was not part of Val's most recent plan, but it would have to do.

Ozai came back at her, a fireball exploding at her face. "You're pathetic!" He said as Val had her face covered. He kicked her side, and then, he yanked her up to her feet by the collar of her cloak. "Uncover your face,see your dishonor."

Val uncovered her face. To his surprise, Val was smirking, and it seemed the fireball had not even connected with her face. She had brushed it away in the nick of time. She stuck out her hand and punched him.

He dropped her, but grabbed her neck and squeezed a bit to keep her from moving. He murmured. "You'll regret that more than any thing."

Val just shook her head, putting a finger to her chin. "Probably not, but alright. Think what you may." She was unusually calm as she dangled in the air, almost as if this was part of a master plan.

Ozai's eyes narrowed a bit. Just as he was about to hit Val again, an orange blur knocked him over.

Suddenly, there was a great commotion. With some people running toward the blur and some yelling "Avatar," Val took Aang's hand to lead him back to the others. The others met her on her way over. Aang's hand started to sweat against Val's.

When Val looked at him, Aang grew red on his cheeks. Then, he hugged her tight and exhaled with a smile on his face. "I'm glad you're okay." He stepped back again.

Katara commented. "We all are." Her face had on a pleasant smile.

Val nodded. Now was not the time though. Many guards ran up to them, balls of fire in their hands. Suddenly, they were surrounded. Val's eyes flew across the crowd, determining the weak spots. She saw one and went toward it, running toward the small hole in the circle. As she did, they fired the fire at her.

She dodged a few by doing a 360 degree turn in mid-air and kept up her sprint. The hole started to close, and she pushed her legs harder. The others were falling behind her. They wouldn't make it, even if she did. Her legs burned, but she ignored the feeling.

The hole narrowed just as something extremely hot collided with her thigh. She toppled over to the ground, rolling and shooting by up to her feet. A few fireballs were directed at her, which she could dodge, if the wall of flame hadn't just missed her. She put up her hands; the fire disappeared as she did so.

She huffed a bit. No way was she getting out of this circle like this. As she took a step back, suddenly flames came down. However, or surprisingly, the flames didn't even touch her, Aang, Katara, Sokka, or Toph. It actually struck the guards around them. Val looked to where they came from and grinned.

There was her friend, and his group of men, defending and helping them out. She knew he wouldn't end up corrupted like most of the people to come in contact with Ozai, or the Fire Nation even. He and his men, seemingly most from the training class Val had once been in, were creating a sort of diversion.

Her friend grinned back at her and made a gesture that suggested that now was a time for them to run. That's just what she did. "C'mon, this way." Val said to the others and darted through the crowd. The others ran after her, swerving when she swerved, jumping when she jumped, and turning when she turned.

Val ran fast, perhaps too fast. Soon she lost the others, every single one of them. She couldn't locate them in the whirl of fire coming this way and that, and of course rushing bodies. She turned her head to look back and collided with something hard.

Her head, suddenly, spun as something came down on it. She hit the ground, blinking some darkness out of her eyes, and she rolled backward just in time to escape another attack. She looked up too see Ozai. She rushed forward at him, putting her shoulder into his stomach. She took a few steps backward as Ozai stumbled.

Before he could do anything, Val drove her feet into the ground and shoved herself off it. She came at Ozai, quickly. When she collided with Ozai that time, he flew to the ground. Also, a sharp pain shot through Val's body, starting with her twisted ankle.

Ozai went to get up, but Val put a foot on his chest, pushing him back down. "What did you..?" He was cut off.

Val stated. "I always wonder what made you this way... Then, I remember people before you." She shook her head with a slight sigh. She outstretched her hand, gripped the collar of Ozai's shirt, and brought back her hand. Her knuckles cracked as she made her hand into a fist. "You are exactly like them." Her fist went at Ozai's face.

. . . . .

Val. They can't find her. There's chaos all around, heads, bodies, flames, now bursts of air, water, and earth. Sokka hit back a guard with his knife. Aang stopped and scanned the crowd. He was searching for her. He heard a loud slap and turned to it. There stood the Fire Lord, who towered over someone beneath him.

Aang's heart skipped a beat as he saw Val stand. "Sokka!"

Sokka turned and saw her. "Oh-no."

Aang tried to make his way through the ground, but was shoved to the ground. His eyes grew wide as he faced a guard. From behind him, water came and threw the guard. Aang stood and thanked Katara, who nodded.

Aang turned to where Val and Ozai was, seeing Val shoot at him, knock him down, and put a heel under his throat. He saw Val mutter something, but he couldn't comprehend it or, in the least, hear it. He watched him get lifted to his feet by Val's grip on his shirt.

He blinked. _Was she going to kill him? Or attempt it?_

She brought back a fist, while Aang shoved through the crowd. "Val, don't do it!" He yelled over the noise. Just then Val let go of Ozai, turning away from him and shaking her head. Aang almost reached her, but was tripped. He grunted as his knee went into the ground.

Ozai, all of a sudden, darted at Val.

Aang glared and ran at him instead, at full speed. He got there in a few seconds, but it was still not quick enough. He took a step back as he came close. Toph, Katara, and Sokka came from behind him.

_What just happened? It was so quick._

. . . . .

Val let her fist go at his face, until it got within inches. She stopped and dropped her hand. She couldn't do it. It didn't seem right. She turned away and shook her head. She wouldn't even do that to this person, whatever person he may be.

Ozai attacked her from behind, but did not even get to touch her. She ducked and drove her foot into his jaw. That made him pause for just enough time to let Val turn and give his side a good kick. He shot to the ground.

Quickly, she heard footsteps, she turned and went to attack. She stopped though, when she saw Aang and the others. Aang blinked at her and mouthed. "Wow."

Val shrugged. "Let's go, while we can."

"You may need more help with that," said a voice behind her. It was a familiar voice.

Val turned to see her friend with more people behind him. "I suppose you're right, Lee." She grinned at him.

Aang frowned at that.

The friend, or "Lee," nodded. "Since, I've got basically all the soldiers on my side, this'll be easy... Kind of."

Val shook her head. "Nothing's every easy here."

Lee smirked. "Yeah." He turned to the Fire Lord, who was standing.

Ozai stated. "Capture her."

Lee snapped his fingers, his men spreading out, while he kept an eye on Ozai. "Everyone, your stay has ended."

Katara and Sokka cheered. Aang blew the whistle to obtain Appa by his side. Appa landed by them. While they all got on, Lee kept Ozai from attacking. They took off as Aang yelled. "Yip, yip."

Appa went airborne. Val looked down at the mess of bodies and people. Some even saw them take off, so she was on guard. Aang looked at Val. "Who's that?" His voice was quiet and softer than usual.

Val smiled a bit at him. "Just a friend, Aang, that's all."

"Aw, is Aang jealous?" Sokka teased.

Katara swatted him. "Stop it, Sokka." Sokka just laughed, as Aang blushed.

Val's smile disappeared as she returned her gaze to the ground below. It actually turned into a straight line. Her whole body grew tense, and she leaped to her feet. She brought up her hands into a circle and shoved the incoming barrage of flames came at them from below.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw lightning come at her, directly at her. She turned and made fire block most of the impact. She hadn't suspected the backfire would be so strong. Instead of feeling the bison under her, she felt nothing, but emptiness. She realized what was happening. As she did, she randomly thought of something.

. . .

Aang saw her fly off. He dove after her. They surged downward. He outstretched his hand, inches from Val's fingertips. "Grab on!" He basically pleaded with her to stretch more to his hand.

They just kept falling. She was faster than he was. She was almost there to grab her hand, but Val drifted down to her death faster and away from Aang more. For the first time, Aang saw Val's face have terror on it. He suspected his did as well. They fell further down.

_Down, down, down, down._


	3. Chapter 3

**(Sorry for the wait. I do not own anything. Dark Chrona owns her OC Val.)**

**. . . . .**

_- She watched ten or so of the trainees step up to the front lines of attack. Immediately, they caught on fire (by their own fire sent back at them!) and yelled. Less than five seconds, and they were finished. She marched with the others. Another row of trainees were taken down. Two more rows until hers._

_One more now._

_She had not started to train to be an Officer to end up in the war, which in her opinion is useless and unneeded._

_That row was taken out. Her row was the next line of the group._

_She brought up her hands and exhaled through her nose. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw fire burst out of the Trainees beside her. She did not do what they did. Instead, as the flames came back from their "enemies," she made it erupt into the air._

_She broke formation and dove onto her knees. She sent fire at her attackers feet. She hopped back up, but before she could do anything, she saw that her line was being advanced on. For some reason her voice didn't come as they collapsed onto the ground. They turned to her._

_They darted at her. -_

She heard a voice. It told her to take the hand. She brought up her fingertips and stretched toward the hand. Inches away, but not fast enough, the distance increased between their hands. Her vision was still focused on the hand as it turned black, sculpting into the people running at her.

_- They attacked her. She put her palms parallel to the ground and forced fire from them. The force made her shoot over them, and then, she did a back flip to land behind them. -_

She positioned her hands flat and turned them down to the ground. Fire made her fly upward. She grabbed the hand. Her eyes finally allowed her to see him. Aang, what are you doing? She tried to ask him aloud, but couldn't.

Aang asked her something. She didn't respond, but looked down, realizing the ground was rushing back at them. She watched the ground get closer. All of a sudden, something appeared below them.

. . . .

Val had shot herself up to reach him. Aang asked her as he grabbed her hand. "Are you okay?" He looked at her, expecting to see her mouth move. Val's head directed itself downward. Her hand squeezed his harder.

Aang yelled for his bison, who flew beneath them and caught them right before the ground did. He and Val got hugged by Katara, Sokka, and Toph. Sokka was a little hesitant though. Aang smiled faintly at the others. His gaze went to Val.

She moved to the back of the saddle and looked over the edge. Aang wondered what she was thinking about. He approached her, sitting next to her. Appa continued to increase in altitude and distance from the Fire Nation.

Katara frowned. "Where do we go now? The Fire Nation took Ba Sing Se... so where now?" Her voice was without any hope.

Val's voice stated, monotone like. "To my house." She turned to them. Her suggestion ended up with the others staring at her.

. . . . .

Val and Aang landed on Appa, getting bombarded by the others. Arms went around her, but she barely registered them. Sokka hesitated and then hugged her. Val waited until they were finished, or until she felt nothing squishing her. Val had stared off the side of the saddle and stared down at the wreckage down below.

She watched as Ozai fought the Ex- Trainees of Lee's team._ What was going to happen to them now? They were going to be killed, that's what!_ She bit her lip in frustration. Just like before, she couldn't save someone. This time she'll be back.

She felt Aang sit next to her. "Are you alright?" He basically whispered. Val nodded once. Honestly, she was just fine, well almost.

Katara's voice came out weak. "Where do we go now?" She paused, hugging her shoulders. "The Fire Nation took Ba Sing Se, so where do we go now?"

Val turned to them. "To my house." Everyone blinked and stared at her. "They'd expect us to go somewhere safe; they also think I'll never return home, thinking that would seem idiotic."

Sokka stated. "It doesn't just seem that way; it is."

Val sighed. "Just think about it... Plus, we have almost no other options." She crossed her arms against the cold, leaning back against the saddle's side.

Everyone thought about it. However, Sokka was the one to say, "It seems like we have a spot for the night." A grin slipped onto Val's face, receiving a smile from Sokka.

After a few hours, they reached Val's house, actually at one time it was hers, but not anymore. Val went in, searching for anything suspicious. She plopped to the couch. "Make yourself at home." She laid down and shut her eyes with a yawn. The others soon followed suit.

Katara asked. "You sure it's safe?"

Toph said. "Is anywhere safe, sweetness?"

Val added. "Even if they do come, we can always fly off..." _Or fight_, she thought.

Every child went to sleep and awoke early morning to silence. Val stood. "We should get going. Where'd you put those papers?" She went toward the front door, but stopped right before she unlocked it. She furrowed her brows. "On second thought, let's go the back way."

As she turned, the front door exploded. She went through the air, along with the others. Fortunately, they all landed on their feet. People, well fire nation soldiers, rushed in. While exhaling, Val created a ball of fire by moving her arms in a circle. She threw it at them.

"You missed," laughed one.

Val smirked and tilted her chin up a bit.

They looked up in unison. The roof collapsed onto them, or in front of them. They brought their hands over their heads, blowing it away with fire from their palms. When they looked to where Val had been, she wasn't there any longer. Their delay gave her and the others enough time to get away, no matter it was just a few seconds.

Val, Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Momo were flying away from the house, which was starting to burn up in flames. They flew low to the ground so no one would see the direction they went, but far enough above the ground to have a few yards (5-6) between them and the ground.

"I'm sorry about your home." Aang frowned as he said that.

Val looked at him. "It's okay. It served its purpose." As her pinkie fund Aang's, she asked Sokka. "Where to now?"

Sokka took out a map. "After we get the papers from Ba Sing Se, we can head to the South Pole. You know for a visit, until we find our next plan of action."

Val smiled faintly. "So we get to see the South Pole, not to bad as we're on the run now."

. . . . .

"Fire Lord Ozai," Zhao bowed. "We know where they're going..."

Ozai's mouth curved up a bit. "Good. You know how to get them there?"

Zhao nodded. "Yes, plus I'll have some help." He made a small gesture with his hand, door opening.

"Watch it!" A masculine voice stated from the doorway as he was shoved basically into the door/ wall.

Ozai's gaze went to the male, who glared at Ozai. "Why you'd bring this fool?"

Zhao smirked. "He knows the way."

Ozai sighed. "Very well, go there and let him show you around. Then send him right back with a few guards to accompany him."

Zhao said he would.

Then, Ozai added, "Where are they going?"

"They're going back to Ba Sing Se, for those documents. They think they can also make it to the South Pole."

"You know Val, the Avatar, and his friends will beat you at every card, right?" The kid said with a sly grin.

Zhao's eyes narrowed. Just as he went to retort, Ozai said. "I still want respect from you, Lee. You're the one that worked for me, not the other way around."

Lee just shrugged a shoulder.

Zhao had his men take him away. Ozai started. "Any wrong move from him, you get punished, along side with him. Understood?"

Zhao said. "Yes."

. . . . .

The gang flew through the night with almost no trouble, except for the occasional guard on duty, but they didn't even notice the kids. Val stared down at the ground with a slight grin. This may be the best type of travel, she thought slowly. While thinking that, she leaned back against the saddle and locked her arms behind her head.

Appa circled downwards and landed soon after. Aang went down and pulled away a few rocks. _Smart_, Val thought to herself just as Aang took away dirt then leaves. Under all that layers, the papers were brought out.

Just as Aang turned around to come back, it got eerily quiet. Val snapped to her feet, head whipping around. Suddenly, Fire Nation guards burst through the trees, and before the kids knew it, they were unconscious.

They all woke to being held by their chained wrists and scrapping of their feet on a hard floor. They all knew where they were. In the Fire Lord's palace, that's where. Val's head was groggy as her gaze went to the papers in a guard's hand. A groan escaped her lips as they were forced up stairs.

They came into a hot place, with fire surrounding a type of throne and Ozai. Val shook her head to clear it. _Why would he bring us back? What does he have to gain?_ She wondered those questions in her head, the only clear thoughts in her head.

Aang looked back at her, straining against the guards' grips. He mouthed. "What. Now?"

Val would have winked or something, if her head was clear, but it wasn't. She scowled instead. Aang blinked, him getting shoved onto his knees next to Sokka, who was next to Toph, who was next to Katara.

The guard behind Val kicked the back of her knees, making her also go to her knees. Val glared, exhaling through her teeth. Her brain was finally working after the exhale. She looked to the floor.

Ozai said something. Then another, which was her name.

. . . .

Ozai had watched as Val and the Avatar exchanged a glance. She glared at him. After they were all on their knees, he saw Val exhale loudly. Then, she kept her gaze at something on the floor. He was thinking this as a sort of surrender.

"Welcome back." He stated. Even then Val stared at the ground. "Val."

She actually looked up, giving him a nasty glower.

Ozai looked... pleased? He stated. "I saw what you could have done for the Fire Nation and everyone else. You have disappointed me by siding with the Avatar, for that you shall be punished severely."

Val looked up at him. "Just like your son, or worse?:

Ozai now returned the glower from a moment ago.

"What? I'm just asking. Am I to get hurt worse than the outspoken child did, or less?" She asked, half spitting out the questions.

Ozai regained his calm demeanor and said. "Take them away."

They were led away. As they were, guards surrounded them, in a line with them and a circle around them. They marched down the hallway. Every guard was on edge, while every child was looking at (or toward for Toph) Val. Val just kept her eyes glued to the feet of the person in front of her. She seemed to have no mind at all anymore.

Then all of a sudden, her leg went backward.

. . . . .

Val had seen that look of appeal from Ozai. Then he had said, "I saw what you could have done for the Fire Nation and everyone else... You disappointed me," his voice was flat, "by siding with the Avatar. For that, you shall be punished severely."

Quickly, she thought of something, and she decided to make him either uncomfortable or angry. "Just like your son, or worse?" She watched as the calm face turned into an angry expression, which lasted only a bit. "What? I'm just asking. Am I to get hurt worse than the outspoken child did... or less...?" She growled almost.

"Take them away," said Ozai, who placed his hands together as the kids were taken away into the hallway.

As Val stared at the slapping of a guard in front of her, she noticed the circle and line formation of the people. There was a weak spot, well several actually. If only she could create a big enough distraction, that would be a good getaway. Val felt everyone's' eyes on her, but she just stared, showing no emotion.

_- Val watched as the other trainees took their positions. They all seemed so unwise of fighting. She remembered how her friend's father had taught her a bit, without even knowing it. As she brought up her hands, her "opponent" awkwardly did the same._

_He was better than the rest, except herself. He dodged a few of her punches, but got kicked in the stomach. He hit the ground and groaned._

_Val asked. "You alright there?"_

_He just stood up slowly and smirked. "You got some kick to you. I'll give you that, smalls." He stated his name and asked for hers._

_She gave him her name. "Nice to meet you," she added. After that, they were told to keep on practicing, Slowly, Val punched at the air, purposely missing._

_"Come on kid, I know you can do better than that. Show me what you got." The other kid said, pointing to his chest. "I can handle it."_

_Val bit her lip, but threw a punch in his general direction. It actually connected with his jaw. He stumbled, caught himself, and tackled her. Val shoved him off and grabbed him from behind. He struggled. Then out of nowhere, Val felt a sharp pain in her lower back._

_It was her turn to fall. She winced slightly, as the kid knelt down. He looked genuinely worried/sorry. "Whoa, sorry. I didn't know my heel would hurt you so much. I mean, you seem solid as a rock." He gave a light laugh, offering a hand. -_

_A heel_, thought Val, _it may just be enough. Let's just see how disappointed you are now, Ozai_, she added in her mind. She whipped back her leg, hitting the guard behind her. He grunted and fell to the ground, holding his lower stomach. Val wasn't sure she had just hit his stomach because he didn't get up when she turned around.

Flames exploded out of her mouth, going at the nearby guards. They went back. As they did, she lifted her feet over the wicked large chained handcuffs, and she melted the metal away. She dodged a fireball, turned toward the others, and came face first into Zhao.

Val grunted, bringing up her hands. As she did, Aang blew air directly at Zhao, who tumbled through the air. Val got to Aang's handcuffs, trying to melt them off when she was hit upside the head. She backed up a foot, went to hit the figure, and stopped.

There weren't many women that she have seen, but the figure was definitely not male. However, she didn't go to attack Val. Clearly, she was also a newbie, so untrained, unfamiliar, and odd. The figure's mouth moved quickly, her voice quiet.

"_Stay in the sense_." That's what Val had thought she heard her say.

_In the sense? What sense, what did she mean_, Val wondered.

Before Val could ask or respond, the figure one was yelled at by another to fight. She put up her hands and did a quick jab toward Val's head. Out of reflex, Val ducked and swung her leg to make the other crash to the ground.

Quickly, Val went over to the others and melted their handcuffs by blowing out small flames from between her teeth. They followed Val; Aang, Sokka, Toph, Katara, and the guards did. Val rushed ahead, darted corners, ran through hallways. It wasn't long until there was people at every crevasse, so it seemed, along the hallway. Val turned around just as a fire-ball hit them. Rock raised through the floor, protecting Sokka and Toph mostly, some for the others.

The rock only blocked half the hallway, from the way they came. Water appeared in Katara's hands, while Aang steadied himself as a wall of flames went at Val, Katara, and himself from the way they were going. Aang circled his arms in a few circles; the fire followed suit by the air shoving them around. As Aang did that, suddenly, he flicked his fingers from his palms. The fire and air collided with the guards at the end of the hallway.

No matter the damage they took, they rushed toward the kids from both sides. They started to pour out of the rooms as well. "There's too many," Toph stated. "They're everywhere."

Sokka yelled over the stomp of their feet. "There must be-"

Katara's eyes widened. "Whatever you were thinking of, anyone, better hurry up!" She saw more guards pour into the hallway. Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw a figure. She whipped her head around, but her hands weren't fast enough. She hit the floor.

It went silent.

. . . . .

_Stay in the Sense._ That woman had said that. What did she mean. _Did she hear the other correctly. Stay in the sense... Did she mean something else, a riddle?_ Val didn't know, but as she had run down those hallways, past those corners, and through those doors, she thought about those words. _Stay in the sense._

"There's too many. They're everywhere." Toph had plainly discovered that getting out of the palace again wasn't going to happen, which interrupted Val's thoughts. Val knew escape was futile, well it wouldn't be easy at least.

Val heard Sokka next. "There must be-"

Katara cut him off. "Whatever you were thinking of, anyone, better hurry up." She started to even sound nervous. They were all realizing the escape wasn't going to be easy like the first time. Katara quickly swung around, and out of nowhere, Val elbowed her out of the way. While Katara fell, Val was hit by the person that was aiming for Katara.

Val almost stumbled, but stayed upright. Everything was eerily silent, until she looked up to see the Fire Lord's face. For some reason, Ozai clapped slowly, unenthusiastic. "Congratulations Val, you managed to almost get away again. However, you didn't, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Val didn't respond for a little. _Stay in the sense, stay in the sense._ She repeated those words over and over in her head, until the words went together. _Wait..._

Val sighed. Quickly, she turned around, pinning Aang to the ground, while she pushed the others into the arms of the guards. Val leaped to her feet, wrapping Aang's arms around to his back, restraining him.

Aang blinked. "V... Val..?"

Sokka glared. "What are you doing?!" Him, Katara, and Toph were held by the guards and by their wrists, like Val had done with Aang.

Val stared at the ground, clasping her hands together tighter on Aang's wrists. "It was all part of my plan-"

"I knew we shouldn't have believed you!" Sokka glowered at Val's back. Toph just shook her head, sensing Sokka was lying about his last statement.

Katara glared as well. "This was just a ruse to get Aang, wasn't it? You just played us."

Val smirked at her. "Aren't you the 'smart' one? Hey water bender, where was your mind when I totally 'played you?'"

Katara went to respond, but Toph stated. "Katara, she doesn't care about us." Toph frowned faintly. "She lied to all of us."

"She's-" Sokka started, but Ozai cut him off.

"That is not needed." Ozai looked to Val. "You always had a plan..." His expression grew hard as he turned to the guards. "Lock them up." When one went for Val, Ozai said. "Leave her." The guard blinked, and grabbed hold of Aang's wrists, instead.

Aang was too stunned to even resist as him and the others were led down the hall. Aang just stared at Val, who didn't even look at him, but at Ozai. Ozai put a hand on her shoulder and nodded his approval. When Ozai turned Val around to watch them leave, Val's eyes flickered up to Aang's. They were just like her face, cold.

They went around the corner and to the dungeon. They were locked up tight and left for the night in nearby cells. "Why did she do that?" Aang burst out.

Sokka stated. "Who knows, but we're going to get out of here, soon."

"I hope we never see her again," said Katara, in pure fury. "I mean, we does this! She betrayed us, after we trusted her."

Sokka said. "Clearly, the Fire Nation, and her. They are exactly alike, Val and Ozai."'

"I bet she had all of this planned from the beginning." Katara almost screamed out. "What do you think Toph?"

Toph shrugged. "From what I could tell, she told the truth all the time, even just then."

Aang refused to believe them all. Val wouldn't side with Ozai, get him and his friends out of jail just to put them back in, and she wouldn't be truthful about what she just said. No, but she did. The cold floors, metal bars, and hand-cuffs were proof.

"Wait," Aang started, "What do you mean, from what you could tell?"

"I couldn't really tell. Either she's really good at lying, or she can hide it well, but I thought she was telling the truth."

"Even now?" Aang asked, eyes blinking.

"Yes-" Toph started.

Sokka and Katara said in unison. "She can't be trusted."

"She's the reason we're in here. She was working with the Fire Nation the whole time. The faster you realize that, the quicker we can forget her." Sokka added. Aang's breathing stopped.

Katara eyes went soft. "I'm sorry, Aang. It's just wrong, what she did."

Aang ignored her and stared off.

_Val had played them._


End file.
